GoKawiilChuck Norris, the martial arts champion who became an iconic action star and led the hit series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” has died. He was 86.
Norris was hospitalized in Hawaii on Thursday, and his family posted a statement Friday saying that he died that morning. “While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” his family wrote.
“To the world, he was a martial artist, actor, and a symbol of strength. To us, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, an incredible brother, and the heart of our family,” the statement continued. “He lived his life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved. Through his work, discipline, and kindness, he inspired millions around the world and left a lasting impact on so many lives.”
Popular on Variety
As an action star, Norris had a degree of credibility that most others could not match.. Not only did he appear opposite the legendary Bruce Lee in 1972 film “The Way of the Dragon” (aka “Return of the Dragon”), but he was a genuine martial arts champion who was a black belt in judo, 3rd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 5th degree black belt in Karate, 8th degree black belt in Taekwondo, 9th degree black belt in Tang Soo Do and 10th degree black belt in Chun Kuk Do.
Norris was extremely prolific in the late 1970s and ’80s, starring in “The Delta Force” and “Missing in Action” films, “Good Guys Wear Black” (1978), “The Octagon” (1980), “Lone Wolf McQuade” (1983), “Code of Silence” (1985) and “Firewalker” (1986).
Norris joined a bevy of other action stars in the Sylvester Stallone-directed “The Expendables 2” in 2012 after an absence from the screen of seven years.
While he scored high on credibility, Norris did not leaven his work with humor the way Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Jackie Chan did. He was nevertheless the action star of choice for those seeking an all-American icon.
In 1984, Norris starred in “Missing in Action,” the first in a series of films centered around the rescue of American POWs purportedly still held after being captured during the Vietnam War. (Norris’ younger brother Wieland had been killed while serving in Vietnam, and the actor dedicated his “Missing in Action” films to his brother’s memory, but critics of Norris and producer Cannon Films maintained that the films borrowed too heavily from the central conceit of Stallone’s highly successful “Rambo” films.)
As Norris’ movie career began to wane, he made a timely move to television, starring in the CBS series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” inspired by his film “Lone Wolf McQuade.” The program ran from 1993-2001, and the actor reprised the role of Cordell Walker in the TV movies “Walker Texas Ranger 3: Deadly Reunion” (1994) and “Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire” (2005). (Also in 2005 Norris made the last film in which he starred, the straight-to-DVD “The Cutter.”)
... continue reading